Metropolitan Opera Archives

With Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffmann" the opera season in Brooklyn was last evening concluded. Mr. Hasselmans conducted and the lengthily elaborate cast included Mmes. Talley, Lewis, Sabanieeva, Bourskaya and Alcock, and Messrs. Chamlee, Ludikar, De Luca, Rothier, Ananian, Cehanovsky, Wolfe, D'Angelo, Tedesco, Altglass, Gustafson and Picco.

"The Tales of Hoffmann" has survived three seasons in the active repertory of the Metropolitan Opera Company since the revival on Nov, 13, 1924, which is doing rather well for a work "which as light opera is dull and as serious opera is insipid." It was, if we remember aright, performed in Brooklyn two years ago, while still a novelty, but who shone in the panels of this tonal triptych on that occasion it would be difficult to recall. Certainly not Miss Talley nor Miss Lewis - for those bright young hostages to operatic fortune were then unknown to Metropolitan fame.

Miss Talley, as the doll Olympia of Hoffmann's first misadventure, was last evening delightfully the automaton. She sang gracefully well, if not with true brilliance. Nature has fitted Miss Talley to shine in this role. The Giulietta of Miss Lewis was voluptuous in manner and audibly sung. The Academy is kind to Miss Lewis' voice and permits more of it to reach the ears of the audience than does the larger auditorium of the Metropolitan. Miss Sabanieeva seemed, as Antonia, little compensation for the lack of Miss Bori in the role. Nor can we regard with favor the substitution of Ina Bourskaya for Kathleen Howard as Nicklausse.

Mr. Chamlee, Mr. De Luca, Mr Ludikar and Mr. Rothier shared the remaining parts of importance and shared them well enough to insure a performance more than adequate. The other singers of the cast did nicely and Mr. Hasselmans released the score with patient consideration for its endless triviality.

Search by season: 1926-27

Search by title: Les Contes d'Hoffmann,

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